Who Should Host The 'Top Gear' Reboot?

"Top Gear" is too valuable a property for the BBC to let stay dormant forever. The British public broadcaster confirmed last week that the most famous car show in the world will return from its indefinite hiatus. The break began in December 2022 after a crash during filming severely injured former host Freddie Flintoff. The BBC is reportedly in talks with comedian Jimmy Carr to host the show's revival, which raises concerns that producers have no idea why "Top Gear" became a global phenomenon.

If not Carr, who should host the "Top Gear" reboot? As much as fans would love to see clones of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May take the helm, we don't have the technology to make that a viable option. However, the original trio's combination of automotive knowledge and humorous rapport is the recipe that the BBC should be attempting to recreate. Their later seasons heavily leaned on stunts and adventures to draw casual viewers, but the show's core kept car enthusiasts coming back year after year.

The current landscape of television is an absolute mess, and the fall of "Top Gear" was ahead of the curve in that regard. Without the original trio, the BBC hoped the name recognition of former "Friends" star Matt LeBlanc would keep "Top Gear" as a global player in pop culture. That plan largely failed, but the BBC can't help but try again.

While I'd love the BBC to just hire another trio of car journalists, that won't happen. The broadcaster will likely cling to the one part of the automotive world in mainstream culture at the moment: Formula 1. However, there's no former F1 driver who would make a good "Top Gear" host. Any of them willing to be on TV for a living have been media-trained to death and are terrified of burning bridges with any automaker. 

The BBC should just hire a former race engineer. "Top Gear" needs someone experienced and knowledgeable about cars and the auto industry, but without any brand deals to worry about. It might sound ridiculous, but engineers like Peter "Bono" Bonnington and Gianpiero "GP" Lambiase have gained some notoriety through their teams' successes. They're not stars in the slightest, but an outspoken race engineer could be the right type of person to help bring the show into a new era.

Remember to leave your recommendation for a new "Top Gear" host in the comments below.